Patriots: Poor results for run game

By GLEN FARLEY

capecodtimes.com

By GLEN FARLEY

Posted Aug. 24, 2014 at 2:00 AM

By GLEN FARLEY

Posted Aug. 24, 2014 at 2:00 AM

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FOXBORO — No passing grade for the rushing game.

In a performance that was otherwise dominant, the Patriots were running on empty once again on Friday night, generating just 82 yards on 31 attempts (2,6 yards per carry) in their 30-7 preseason romp over the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium.

"We certainly had a difficult time with our running game against them," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick noted during a conference call with the media Saturday afternoon.

It's been one step forward, two steps back for the Patriots' ground attack this preseason.

The Pats were limited to 63 yards on 24 attempts (also a 2.6-yard average) in their 23-6 loss to Washington in this month's opener, then appeared to have made major strides in that area in pounding out 250 yards on 46 attempts (a 5.4-yard average) in their 42-35 win over Philadelphia in Game Two.

But on Friday night they didn't have a single back average 4.0 yards per carry, veteran Stevan Ridley leading the team with 28 yards on eight attempts (a 3.5-yard average) and fourth-round draft pick James White topping them in rushing average at 3.8 as he carried four times for 15 yards.

Perhaps no one has been the poster child for this running game more so than free agent Jonas Gray, however.

Limited to 12 yards on nine carries by the Redskins, Gray broke out for 98 yards on 12 attempts against the Eagles before lapsing back to just 20 yards on nine carries on Friday night when he had a 25-yard jaunt negated by a holding call on tight end Justin Jones.

Through it all, the play of the offensive line under first-year coach Dave DeGuglielmo obviously remains a concern.

MEMORIES OF MOTOWN MELTDOWN: The poor exhibition the team turned in against the Lions at Ford Field in Game Three of the preseason a year ago was obviously a topic of discussion at One Patriot Place this past week.

"Last year when we played in the third preseason game, we had a bad game against Detroit," defensive tackle Tommy Kelly said, referring to the Patriots' 40-9 loss on Aug. 22, 2013, "so we just wanted to put a good game on tape."